


Frannie's View

by Thornwood



Category: Glee
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Study, Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, F/F, Faberry, Problematic Religious Convinctions, Sisters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 06:16:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28505838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thornwood/pseuds/Thornwood
Summary: When Frannie was a child she did everything she could to make her father happy.  She was a daddy’s girl through and through.  She was quiet and never disrespectful.  She went to church every Sunday with her mother and father and prayed every night.  Frannie had a lot of friends at school and was popular and well liked.  She did very well in school though her participation grades were always low.  Daddy told her women were supposed to be quiet and always treat their husbands with respect.  She was a princess and he was the King.  He ruled the house.Frannie absolutely hated the way her father treated her little sister.  Frannie desperately tried to change Lucy.  She thought if Lucy could be better then their father would be happier, nicer.ORA journey from Frannie's perspective of Lucy/Quinn and Quinn's sexuality and later feelings for Rachel.
Relationships: Rachel Berry/Quinn Fabray
Comments: 3
Kudos: 101





	Frannie's View

**Author's Note:**

> CW: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Religious abuse

When Frannie was a child she did everything she could to make her father happy. She was a daddy’s girl through and through. She was quiet and never disrespectful. She went to church every Sunday with her mother and father and prayed every night. Frannie had a lot of friends at school and was popular and well liked. She did very well in school though her participation grades were always low. Daddy told her women were supposed to be quiet and always treat their husbands with respect. She was a princess and he was the King. He ruled the house.

Sometimes she would make mistakes, but Daddy would lovingly correct her. When Frannie was eight Daddy and Mommy started fighting a lot then not at all. It was too quiet in her house. Frannie did not like this new stillness and started to spend as much time as she could at activities or other friends’ houses.

Frannie tried to spend as much time as she could away from home, but then her mom told her she was pregnant. Frannie was going to have a little sister. With the pregnancy things changed for Frannie. She had to stay at home more and help her mother out. Her father told her it was her duty to God and to her family.

She hated being forced to cook and clean when all she wanted to do was to play. But Frannie didn’t once talk back to her father. She had seen him be angry at her Mommy and she didn’t ever want him to be angry like that with her.

When her little sister, Lucy, was born Frannie could not stand the tiniest Fabray. Lucy was loud and smelly, but even still all the adults fawned over the monster. Frannie really couldn’t see what they saw. She couldn’t stand her baby sister.

Her mother always needed help with Lucy. Frannie came to hate Lucy a lot for the first three years of Lucy’s life. Her father would get angry at her for the things that Lucy did or that her mother didn’t do. It wasn’t until Frannie joined the cheerleading squad at the encouragement of her father when she was twelve that her father stopped being angry at her. Frannie had taken gymnastics and dance off and on and was still the pretty, popular girl she always was, so cheerleading came naturally to her. Frannie had fun, plus it kept her father happy and kept her too busy to do much babysitting.

~

As Frannie entered high school she could tell just how different she and her sister were. When Frannie was fifteen, Lucy was seven and nothing like her. Lucy was clumsy and overweight, wore glasses and had no friends but her books.

Even so Frannie started to finally enjoy her sister’s company. Her baby sister was weird, but funny too. Frannie noticed her father did not feel the same way about Lucy. It seemed all he could do was compare Lucy to herself, which Frannie did not think was fair, but no one argued with her father. By fifteen Frannie had seen the cruel way her father would treat them on occasion and was terrified of the man she called Daddy.

When Frannie was a sophomore she was set. She was a beautiful, popular cheerleader who kept her grades up and was very involved in her church and youth group. Yet the cruelty Frannie witnessed at home shaped her and she ended up repeating the same cruelty to the less popular kids at her school. Frannie was intelligent and ruthless. It made her feel better to tear others down and to be untouchable. At school she was a goddess, the example for her friends at school and her church youth group. Frannie learned how to be manipulative and to hide her cruelty from adults. Frannie was not just a good liar, she had become the best.

Frannie even refused to let the boys she dated get too close. She was saving herself for marriage just like her Daddy taught her. She knew all about hell and sin. She knew exactly who was going to hell and that of course she was not one of the damned.

Frannie absolutely hated the way her father treated her little sister. Frannie desperately tried to change Lucy. She thought if Lucy could be better then their father would be happier, nicer. But elementary school Lucy just didn’t understand being someone different than who she was.

Lil’ Luce wanted to read, books upon books upon books. She would play by herself and refused to go to dance class or gymnastics. Frannie didn’t understand her at all.

Once Frannie saw Lucy playing with her dolls so she decided to walk into her sister’s room.

“Hey Lu, what are you playing?”

“Playing house,” mumbled Lucy. Lucy was soft spoken around everyone, even her sister.

Frannie sat down next to the young girl. “Can I play too?”

Lucy grinned and nodded. “You…you can be Mary, and I’ll be Sarah.”

Frannie frowned. “I thought we were playing house Lu.”

Lucy mimicked her older sister’s frown. “We are.”

“Where are Mary and Sarah’s husbands?”

“They’re not…They don’t have husbands. Mary and Sarah are married.”

Frannie felt a wave of fear flow through her. She had to stamp this out and quickly. Frannie shuddered to think what her father would do if he heard Lucy talk about such things. 

“Two women can’t get married Lu.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s a sin. Only a man and a woman can get married. It is the word of God.”

“So…never?” Lucy seemed sad. Frannie did her best to ignore her sister’s crestfallen expression.

“Never. Ever.” Frannie stood up. “Do not let Dad see you doing that or talking about it.”

“But why…why does God say it’s a sin?”

Frannie’s expression turned hard. “Because it’s unnatural. It’s wrong. Boys like girls and girls like boys. That’s the only way. Everything else goes against God. It hurts God. Do you want to hurt God Lucy?”

Lucy quickly shook her head.

Frannie turned away. She felt bad for being harsh with her sister, but she had to protect her from their father.

~

That week Frannie, finding herself being filled with the Holy Spirit, stepped up her harassment of anything different or weird, particularly queer.

Her junior year she found one girl in particular. They had used to be friends in middle school, at least before Susan had gotten weird. The two hadn’t talked much since high school, until Frannie heard a rumor that Susan was gay then Frannie made Susan her primary focus.

Frannie did her Christian best to convince Susan of her wrong doing and offered to help save her soul on several occasions. Susan actually said she did not want to be saved, especially in her words by some “two faced bitch” like her. Frannie decided after that conversation that Susan couldn’t be saved, so Frannie recruited everyone to make Susan’s life miserable, including her current boyfriend Mark, the quarterback of the football team.

Around mid-year Frannie noticed Susan had left, transferred to a different school they said, and Frannie didn’t spare her a parting thought. Frannie had better things to focus on like applying to college. She had managed to get into a lot of top schools, but Mark wasn’t as smart and had just gotten into Ohio State. So dutifully Frannie followed Mark to Ohio State. Besides she was lucky. Her mother hadn’t even had the chance to go to college. Her father convinced Frannie that it was the right thing. And what Daddy says goes.

So it was that Frannie and Mark went on to Ohio State. Frannie stayed in close touch with her family and continued to be the perfect Christian daughter and girlfriend. Mark, however, was not the perfect boyfriend. He repeatedly cheated on her, but when she talked about it with her mother all that Judy did was encourage her to be better.

Her father pressured the two to marry and at nineteen Frannie was married to Mark, a man growing in similarity to her father every day. Frannie tried her best to be a good wife, but nothing was ever good enough for Mark.

About a year after she married Mark, the abuse started. Since the beginning of college Frannie had noticed that Mark had a bit of a temper. His anger was sudden and explosive. She was patient and kind and forgiving, but that didn’t stop Mark’s hand from impacting her face one drunken night. The first time he was shocked into silence and apologized profusely. The second time he fell asleep and then apologized in the morning. The third time, he wasn’t drunk and never apologized. In fact Frannie never heard another apology from her husband again. It was her fault, always her fault. Frannie prayed to God every night to make Mark just a bit gentler, just a bit kinder, but soon Frannie could not take it anymore.

It was when they two were getting ready to graduate, to be a housewife to Mark who would be working in his father’s business when Frannie sought to separate from her husband.

She thought her parents would understand. He was hurting her, but all that resulted in her confession was a fight. Frannie tried to make them understand she couldn’t do her Christian best when her husband was hurting her, but all it did was to make her father angry. Frannie was so frustrated that she broke the Fabray cardinal rule and talked back to her father. Her father’s face turned red and he stormed towards the young woman and backhanded her. Her father might have been liberal with the belt when she was younger, but he had never hurt her, not like this.

Something snapped in Frannie that day. She refused to bow down to this pain from the men in her life. Frannie left, left Mark and went to live with one of her sorority sisters. For a time Frannie kept in contact with Lucy, who had no idea what had happened between her and Mark or with their father, and her mother. Soon however Russell found out and cut all remaining ties to his eldest daughter. Frannie decided to make a new start for herself and moved across the country to start living the life she knew could have.

It was a very trying time for Frannie. She was on her own for the very first time in her life. She struggled immensely, but managed to get into nursing school. Frannie sought to discover who she was, apart from the controlling influences of Mark and Russell. One thing Frannie didn’t abandon from her old life was her tight relationship with God. Often her religion was the only thing that kept her strong, kept her going.

~

A few years later Frannie visited her old hometown in Ohio. Her family had moved to Lima, Ohio when Frannie was a year out of college. Frannie wasn’t even sure where they lived in Lima. Russell had gotten all their phone numbers changed.

Frannie had only learned all this new information from a friend. She was visiting her old hometown for a wedding when she found out about the move. Frannie found that fact that her family moved without even telling her a bit disturbing, but more disturbing was the fact that even after her and Mark divorced that her parents continued to tell everyone Frannie and Mark were still together, happy and very much in love. It made Frannie sick and Frannie was grateful to leave her old friends behind.

Frannie spent a good deal of time worrying about Lucy. Frannie wasn’t financially secure enough to take in her baby sister, but she could at least talk to her. Unfortunately since she didn’t know where Lucy was, it made this difficult. When Frannie finished nursing school, she made her next mission to find Lucy.

Thankfully Frannie had social media on her side. She found her sister on Facebook, though it took some time since Lucy wasn’t Lucy anymore. Her little sister was going by her middle name now, Quinn, and she looked completely different from the girl she knew. Lucy had slimmed down, dyed her hair blonde, gotten contacts, and Frannie suspected, a nose job. Frannie messaged her sister, but Lucy never responded back. So after repeated attempts, all Frannie could do was move on. 

But moving on was hard for Frannie. She knew she had lost her father and mother, but she never thought her little sister would cut her off. Frannie was truly alone. Frannie strove to find meaning in her life, but instead lost herself in alcohol and one night stands. She was adrift.  
Frannie was now working as a nurse and doing well enough, but she was missing something. She made friends easily enough, but never allowed any of them to get too close. Even without her father to judge her, Frannie judged herself and always did her best to keep up appearances. It was only in the quiet hours that Frannie allowed herself to think about her sister and the parents she had lost, so Frannie made sure to fill her quiet hours with church, work, and company.

Frannie had moved back to the Eastern Time zone and was living in Louisville, Kentucky. At the time Frannie was twenty five and her sister was seventeen when she got a call from a random Ohio number on her cell phone. Frannie didn’t pick up, but listened to the voicemail a bit later. Frannie was shocked to hear the familiar voice of none other than her mother, someone she hadn’t heard from in three years. 

“Hi honey. I found your new number from one of your high school friends. I do hope this is still your number. It’s Lucy. She’s been in a car accident. You…you need to come. Please call me back. I love you Frannie.”

Frannie immediately called her mother back and packed a bag.

~

Frannie was a nurse and certainly felt at home in a hospital, but she was pretty sure she would forever more hate the ICU wing of the University of Cincinnati.

It was the worst way she could imagine to reconnect with her mother and sister, but here she was. Frannie was there just a few hours after Lucy had been flown in on a helicopter from Lima. Frannie was the solid, comforting presence her mother needed. Frannie was the one who talked with the doctors and stayed strong. She refused to let the avalanche of emotions break her. She was a Fabray and she was strong. And as Frannie and her mother waited while Lucy was in surgery, Frannie reminded herself that Lucy was a Fabray as well. She was stronger. She would be okay. Surely God didn’t mean to take her baby sister at seventeen. She had an entire great and wonderful life still to live. Frannie sat in the cold hospital chair next to her mother and prayed. 

After the surgery it was Frannie who held her mother when they said they were cautiously optimistic that she would pull through, but that Lucy might be paralyzed from the waist down. It was Frannie who forced her mother to eat and who slept nearby while Quinn slept in her ICU room.

The next morning while the two women sat and watched over an unconscious Lucy, they caught each other up on their lives. Frannie had noticed her father’s absence, but didn’t think too much as to ask where he was. She was absolutely amazed to hear her mother had divorced him after he cheated. She had never seen this independent, strong version of her mother and when Frannie asked about the change her mother gave credit for the change to Lucy.

Her mother told her about Lucy’s transformation to Quinn and about her cheerleading just like her older sister. Frannie’s heart ached for her lil’ Luce, but then her mother told her about Quinn’s sophomore year. Frannie was stunned. Quinn had gotten pregnant the very first time she had sex and her father and mother kicked her out, leaving her homeless, without any family. Frannie’s heart broke a million times over. She knew all too well the feeling of being without anyone, but at least she was twenty two when she cut ties, not fifteen and pregnant. Frannie cursed herself. She should have tried harder to get in contact with Lu, to be a part of her life. She left her baby sister with that monster of a man and the guilt Frannie felt was crushing.

Frannie knew she could not do anything about their past, but she was here now. She would do whatever she could for her little sister. 

When her mother told Frannie about Quinn, and it was Quinn now, not Lucy, she had to keep reminding herself, getting into Yale Frannie was so very proud. Despite an awful situation Quinn had risen above impressively. Frannie was smart, but she always knew her sister was brilliant and was thrilled that their father hadn’t destroyed that.

Frannie and her mother stayed right by Quinn’s side, so they were there when she woke up for the first time. She was very confused and in pain. In fact when Quinn saw her older sister she thought she was dreaming at first, but Frannie soon assured her she was awake. Quinn hadn’t seen her sister in near to four years, but that didn’t matter now. All that Quinn knew was that she was hurt, terrified and very much needed her mom and her sister. Frannie was there to explain the paralysis to Quinn and to comfort her when Quinn let her emotions take over.

The first few conversations that Frannie had with her sister about something other than medical things were short. They were both learning each other or really Frannie was learning about this person who was so very different from the Lucy she knew, or at least the person who tried to be different from Lucy. Frannie saw how the years apart had taken Quinn’s childhood away in a way Frannie would never understand. Frannie missed her Lucy, but she was happy enough that her sister was alive that she decided she would learn to love Quinn too.

~

A couple of days after the accident Frannie was poking fun at the latest Cosmo magazine with Quinn when their mom walked in staring at her phone.

“I don’t know who gave Rachel my number, but she is clogging up my phone with messages.”

“What does she want?” asked Frannie. She had heard her mom describe Quinn’s friends from glee club, including their Broadway bound lead singer, Rachel.

“To see if Quinn is okay. I don’t know what you want to tell her.”

“Don’t. I’ll talk to Rachel myself,” rasped Quinn. Quinn’s normally raspy voice was a bit rougher due to the breathing tube that was in her throat just a few days ago.

“Are you sure kiddo?” asked Frannie.

“Yes. I…give me your phone mom.”

Her mother handed the phone to Frannie. “Alright honey.” 

Frannie found the number and put it in and held the phone to Quinn’s ear. Quinn was too weak currently to even hold a spoon.

As she held it Frannie listened to the phone ring once, then an excited rapid voice came over the line. 

“Rachel…Rachel! Stop talking…Yes, it’s me. I’m okay…No, you don’t need to see me…Really. My mom and sister are here…Yes, I have a sister…Frannie…No, Frannie, not Fanny…Rachel…Rachel! It’s okay…You didn’t.” Quinn’s voice became rough with restrained emotion. “You didn’t. That’s…It’s alright Rachel. Really…Hey I’ll talk to later. Tell everyone I’m okay…Mmmhmm…Bye.”

Frannie took the phone and looked at her sister. She was quiet, but then again Lucy was always so quiet. “You okay lil’ sis?” Quinn had such an odd look on her face that Frannie couldn’t help but ask.

Quinn smiled a little. “They didn’t get married.”  
“Who didn’t get married?”

“Rachel and Finn.”

“Finn, the boy that got you pregnant?”

Their mom interjected, “No honey that was Noah. Finn was Quinn’s boyfriend beginning sophomore year and part of junior year though.”

Frannie was in disbelief and turned to her mother. “So Quinn had sex with someone who wasn’t her boyfriend and became pregnant? She cheated and got knocked up?”

“Francesca. Everyone makes mistakes.”

Right. Frannie couldn’t imagine her Lucy doing anything like that, but Quinn was not Lucy. Even still she was her sister and she needed to let the past stay there. She wasn’t there for her sister to guide her, to teach her. Frannie couldn’t help but think that if she was around maybe her sister would not have had to go through all that pain. So Frannie immediately set aside what she learned. 

“You’re right. Sorry.” Frannie turned back to her sister. “I’m sorry Quinn,” she said, but Quinn was already asleep, a small smile painting her face.

~

As Quinn recovered and started physical therapy, Frannie spent the time building an actual relationship with her sister. Frannie quit her job in Louisville and moved into her mother’s house in Lima and got a temporary position in Cincinnati while Quinn stayed in the hospital at UC. Frannie was determined to stay as close as possible now that she was back in her sister’s life.

Frannie learned more about her sister in those four weeks in Cincinnati than she had in the previous sixteen years. The two talked about everything: Quinn’s accident, their parents, their mistakes, their lives.

The only thing they two didn’t talk about was Quinn’s current love interests or crushes. Frannie would tease her and Quinn would simply state that she needed a break from boys and told me about how insane her previous relationships were.

But then, then there was Rachel.

Whenever Quinn started talking about her friend, her eyes would light up. The emotion she described Rachel with far exceeded any she gave to any of the boys she dated. Listening to her little sister speak reminded Frannie of a memory from a long time ago: the one where Frannie had broken up a wedding between Quinn’s two female dolls. Mary and Sarah, about to be gay married.

Frannie had made the promise that she would do everything she could to make Quinn’s life better. That plan did not include a Jewish girl with two gay fathers. Frannie couldn’t even bear the thought. Living so openly with the flames of hell licking their feet. Sure, Frannie had met some gay people in the past few years, but she hadn’t been friends with them. The lives they led were disgusting and there was no way she was going to let Quinn subject herself to that type of lifestyle.

So even as Quinn raved about Rachel and showed Frannie youtube videos of their glee performances, which Frannie admitted were beyond amazing, Frannie concocted her plan.

Every time Quinn mentioned Rachel, Frannie would also mention Finn and their postponed, but very real upcoming wedding. Frannie also repeatedly asked about the boys in Quinn’s class. Joe Hart seemed like a good, honest male Christian. As Quinn recovered Frannie tried to bring Quinn back to church and closer to Joe.

~

When Quinn was finally discharged from the hospital and went home to Lima, Frannie followed and acted as Quinn’s home health nurse. By the time Quinn was ready to go back to school, the two sisters were as thick as thieves. Frannie had reluctantly let Quinn’s friends Santana and Brittany visit, and of course Joe, but Frannie always found reasons to keep Rachel away. She would not let her sister be gay. That way only led to pain and suffering.

After about a week after Quinn got home Frannie’s mother confronted her. 

“I think Rachel is a lovely girl, don’t you?” asked her mom.

“Oh sure. She’s a great singer.”

“She cares about Quinn a lot.”

“I guess.”

“Quinn doesn’t want people to think so, but Quinn really cares about Rachel.”

“And? Make your point mom.”

“You weren’t here to see, but I was. I can’t name a single boy who has made Quinn as happy as Rachel makes her.”

“You aren’t saying what I think you’re saying.”

“I thought being away from your father made you more open minded.”

“It’s wrong mother.”

“Who says?”

“God! God says!”

“Where?”

“In the Bible mom! You know that!”

“There are different interpretations.”

“There is only ONE interpretation.”

“Who says you have the right one?”

That quieted Frannie for the moment.

“I lost you both, by letting Russell chase you both away. I won’t lose Quinn again. I’d like to keep you and I don’t want to see you lose Quinn so soon after you came back into her life.”

“I…It goes against what I stand for, besides it’s not like Quinn has said she’s gay. I mean come on! She got pregnant, from having sex…with a boy!”

Her mother shook her head. “You’ve been wonderful since you came back. Just remember that Jesus loved the sinner.”

“Quinn has had a rough life already. I can’t imagine how hard it would be if she was a homosexual.”

“Just…be open. Quinn may need someone to talk to and Quinn hasn’t been able to talk to me, since, well probably since she was born. Quinn has always been different.”

Frannie blew out a harsh breath. “I will listen if Quinn talks to me. I’ll listen. I won’t support it, but I will support her. That’s all I can do right now.”

Her mother nodded. “Thank you, Frannie. I love you and I am so proud of the woman you’ve become despite your upbringing. And I am so sorry I wasn’t there for you when you left Mark. You deserved so much better.”

~

Frannie stayed on top of Quinn and her physical therapy. Sometimes Quinn would get discouraged but her sister would be there cheering her on. When Quinn mentioned Joe and her interest, Frannie encouraged the relationship and even got Joe to take over as Quinn’s physical therapy escort. 

Despite Frannie’s urgings it seemed like Quinn didn’t want any more from Joe than friendship. It seemed Quinn had set her focus on something else: Prom Queen.

Frannie was surprised by Quinn’s determination. Sure Frannie had been Homecoming and Prom Queen, but she never expected Quinn to want it. Quinn was different. She was better than just some Prom Queen from some tiny high school in the middle of some nowhere Midwest state. Frannie attempted to explain this to Quinn, but all that Quinn heard was that she wasn’t good enough. 

Frannie didn’t want to disturb their newly formed relationship so she stopped fighting and instead helped Quinn with her campaign. Quinn was filled with an intensity that Frannie had never seen before. Quinn committed herself completely to her campaign and her physical therapy. It was paying off in physical therapy. Quinn’s paralysis was shown to be simply temporary and Quinn was standing assisted now. It was impressive all that Quinn accomplished at physical therapy and Frannie always made sure Quinn knew how proud she was.

~

During the prom queen craziness Frannie got to meet Quinn’s friend, Rachel, in person. Quinn was taking a nap after a trying physical therapy session, and their mom was at work so that left Frannie free to answer the doorbell. Frannie was startled to see the small Jewish girl from the youtube videos standing outside her door.

“Hello. My name is Rachel Berry. I’m here to see Quinn if she is available.”

“Hello…Come in.”

Frannie noticed Rachel staring at her. Frannie raised an eyebrow.

Rachel saw Frannie looking at her perplexed and quickly apologized. “I’m sorry. You look so much like Quinn.”

Frannie ushered Rachel inside. “Well I guess I should. I’m her older sister, Frannie.” Frannie led Rachel to the couch.

Rachel nodded. “I didn’t know she had a sister until just a couple of months ago.”

“Do you two talk much about non-glee or school things?”

“No, not really. Quinn and I have not talked a lot this year.”

“Busy with your fiancé?”

Rachel looked up at Frannie. “You seem to know a lot about me and I don’t know anything about you other than your name.”

Frannie sat down on the armchair facing the couch. “There isn’t a lot to know.”

“Why didn’t Quinn ever mention you?”

Frannie shrugged. “She’s eight years younger than I am. I left for college before the family moved to Lima. I rarely visited Quinn. Guess you could say I wasn’t the best sister. I’m trying to make up for that now.”

Rachel nodded. “I’m sure she’s glad to have you back.”

“I think. Quinn’s not exactly the most open about what she feels. By the way Quinn’s asleep right now, so if you’re looking to talk to her you’re out of luck. I can let her know you came.”

Rachel handed Frannie a container. “I have not been the best friend lately to Quinn. I let myself get jealous over Finn helping Quinn with her prom queen campaign. I made these cookies as an apology. Will you let her know?”

“I will. It was good to meet you Rachel Berry.”

Rachel smiled. “And you too Frannie. Tell Quinn I look forward to seeing her wearing that crown.”

Frannie smiled politely and walked Rachel out.

Once Frannie was alone she thought very hard for a moment. She could easily not pass on Rachel’s message and destroy the cookies. Then Frannie sighed. Her mothers’ words stuck in her mind. She did not understand Quinn but she knew she didn’t want to lose her. Rachel seemed nice enough, and the fact that she was very much engaged helped Frannie make her decision.

Frannie went into Quinn’s room and gently woke her up.

“Hey Q ball, wakey wakey.”

Quinn grumbled. “What?”

“You had a visitor.”

Quinn wiped at her bleary eyes and got her glasses from the side table. Frannie liked when Quinn wore her glasses. It reminded her of Lucy. “Who?” asked Quinn.

“Rachel.”

Quinn sat straight up. “Rachel? Rachel was here?”

Frannie nodded. “Yeah, she came to apologize for not being as supportive of your Prom Queen campaign as she could have been.” Frannie showed Quinn the container in her hands. “She made cookies.”

Quinn smiled. “Yep, that’s Rachel.”

Frannie struggled but then forged ahead. “Rachel…Rachel seems like a special girl. I mean she’s Jewish, but I guess other than that she’s a decent sort of person.”

Quinn looked at Frannie confused. “I think you’re trying to compliment Rachel.”

Frannie waved her hand to shake off the statement and changed the subject. “Quinn, do you think you’ll have the great reveal during Prom?” Quinn had been wheelchair bound in school, but was going to show off her new found ability to stand in front of everyone at Prom. 

Q nodded shyly. “It’s going to be great. I have a song I’m singing with Santana which will be perfect.”

Frannie smiled. “Hopefully someone gets it on film.”

Quinn grinned.

~

Frannie was more excited about Quinn’s prom night than she was her own. She helped Quinn get dressed and perfected her look. Her sister was gorgeous. Frannie was on pins and needles as she waited for Quinn to come back home. 

When Quinn came into the house without a crown on Frannie worried for her sister. But that worry was soon dispelled when she saw the giant smile on her sister’s face. Frannie helped Quinn get dressed for bed as her sister told her all about her night. This included the fact that Quinn had actually won prom queen, but had given the title to Rachel, all without Rachel knowing. Frannie was flabbergasted.

“Wow. You gave up prom queen for Rachel. You gave up prom queen for Rachel.”

“It didn’t mean anything to me. But Frannie, you should have seen Rachel’s face. She was so happy.” Quinn grinned in remembrance and then grabbed her sister’s arm excitedly. “Did I tell you that she told me her greatest accomplishment at McKinley was being my friend?”

Frannie could hardly believe the sudden realization that came over her. “You love her. You love Rachel. I mean I knew you kind of liked her, but I didn’t think –”

“What…what are you talking about?” asked a suddenly scared Quinn.

“You’re gay Quinn.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Quinn, you are for Rachel. You love Rachel Berry.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m sorry Quinn.”

“No, you’re wrong.”

“Whatever. I can’t handle this. I’m going to bed. Night.”

“I’m not gay!”

Frannie shook her head and closed her sister’s bedroom door behind her.

~

Things were tense between the two as Quinn refused to be anything but straight, and Frannie tried to be okay with gay people in general. Frannie struggled with this. She had always been told it was a choice gay people made, but it seemed no matter how Quinn tried to not be, she still was attracted to Rachel. Despite her efforts Quinn couldn’t be straight and happy, and all Frannie wanted was for her sister to be happy. Frannie, with her mother’s help, started to do her own research and meet with religious leaders and hear some different opinions on the subject.

Frannie was there for her sister after her glee national competition, graduation, and Rachel’s split from Finn. Frannie endured a marathon of Harry Potter movies for her sister, because Quinn was sad when Rachel left for New York. Frannie helped Quinn get ready for Yale and helped her move in. The two never mentioned the gay issue to each other again. Whenever Frannie tried Quinn would just say, “I’m not gay” and refuse any further conversation.

Frannie kept in touch with her sister as she navigated through freshman year of college. Quinn told her about this professor she was crazy about and Frannie could tell it was just a distraction, an escape from the truth.

Frannie didn’t learn about Quinn having sex with her professor, her middle aged married professor until Quinn came home for Thanksgiving overheard a conversation Quinn was having on her cell. One afternoon Quinn came home with a very pink cheek and when Frannie asked what had happened, Quinn said that Santana had slapped her. When Quinn went into the details that started another fight, this time between Quinn and her sister.

Frannie had spent a lot of time learning to be okay with gay people and now saw it as her mission in making Quinn happy to help her realize this about herself. It was tearing her baby sister up inside, causing her to do stupid things like sleep with her married professor. Frannie would rather her sister be gay and happy than unhappy and an adulterer.

“You know New York City isn’t that far away from New Haven. What happened to those train tickets you got Rachel?”

“She’s been busy.”

“Have you even invited her?”

“She has a new boyfriend, Brody,” said Quinn with disgust.

“And that means you two can’t hang out?”

“Well no, but –”

“But what Quinn?”

“Never mind.”

“Uh huh. Go visit her and stop fucking the professor. It’s gross, beneath you and reeks of Daddy issues.”

“Fuck you.” Quinn got up in Frannie’s face.

Frannie turned her cheek towards Quinn. “You gonna hit me? It’s okay. I can take it. Don’t think you’ll be the first.”

All the anger went out of Quinn in a rush. “Who hit you?”

Frannie turned away. “Never mind Quinn.”

Quinn grabbed Frannie’s arm. “No, I want to know. Who hit you?”

“If I tell you, will you go visit Rachel?”

Quinn agreed and Frannie told her about Mark and their father. And a few weeks later Quinn visited Rachel in New York City.

~

It was spring break and Frannie was happy to see her sister. Quinn had been back for the holidays and her glee teacher’s wedding, but Frannie hadn’t seen or heard from her since January.

The two were watching some random horror movie Quinn picked out on Netflix when Quinn paused the movie and stared down at her hands.

“Quinn?”

“What if?”

“What if what, Q ball?”

“What if I am gay?”

Frannie paused then cleared her throat. “Then you’re gay Quinn. It doesn’t have to mean anything more than that.”

Quinn nodded.

“Do you…do you think you are…gay?” asked Frannie hesitantly.

“I had sex with Santana.”

“You what!? You had sex with SANTANA!”

Quinn glared at her sister. “Shut up!” Quinn lowered her gaze. “Yes.”

Frannie cleared her throat again. “Um –” She was not the right person for this conversation. “Was it –” Frannie grimaced. “Was it any good?”

“Let’s just say it was enough to make me think I may be a bit less than completely straight.”

“Okay…what about Rachel?”

The pain in Quinn’s eyes showed through. “Rachel is with Finn. Now and forever. Besides Rachel is completely straight.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I wish it wasn’t true, but it is. But now that I have other, more tolerable options I can’t wait for something that is never going to happen. Mr. Shue’s wedding is going to be the last time I see those guys, the last time I see Rachel. I have to move on.”

“But why?”

“Because I need to forget about her. I will find another Rachel, one that will love me as much as I do her.”

“If that’s what you want I’ll support it. I love you Q ball.”

“Love you too Frannie. Thanks for coming back for me.”

“Wish I had been here sooner.”

Q shrugged. “You didn’t know.”

“I didn’t want to know. I was so angry and I let that anger for Mom and Dad keep me from you. But it is what it is. The important thing is that I am not going to let anything else come between us.”

Quinn smiled and hugged her sister.

~

Frannie was there for her family when Finn died, holding Quinn tightly as she sobbed for the boy she knew. Frannie was there when Russell, her father, begged for Judy to take him back. Judy, her mother, did not. Frannie was there to listen to Quinn’s excitement about her first girlfriend and sadness about their break up a few months later. 

Despite Quinn’s insistence that she move on from Rachel, Frannie couldn’t help but keep tabs on the first girl Quinn fell in love with. Frannie tried to get Quinn to see Rachel, but she refused. It was only until Quinn was at Columbia getting her PhD in literature that Frannie convinced Quinn to go to a show with her and if it just happened to be starring a Miss Rachel Berry well then that was just a bonus.

Frannie convinced her very single sister to wait with her to get autographs. Frannie got Rachel’s attention as Quinn hid amongst the crowd. Rachel smiled and wrote down her number for Frannie. Frannie refused to leave New York City until Quinn agreed to go grab some coffee with Rachel. “It’s just coffee Q ball. You’re catching up. That’s it.”

But it wasn’t. Coffee turned into hanging out and hanging out led to a very happy Quinn confessing that Rachel had kissed her! Frannie cheered excitedly and begged for the details.

Frannie had come a long way from the girl she was in high school, but then again so did Quinn. If it wasn’t for each other they never would have ended up where they were today: standing by Quinn’s side at Quinn and Rachel’s wedding.

It had been quite the journey but when Frannie saw the utter joy radiating from her baby sister, Frannie felt satisfied in her mission. Lucy Quinn Fabray was finally happy.


End file.
